Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-07-22
MRS. BaRKER'S WOOD.

s5 mo wood!' n II s a,.. 5#
Mrs. John Barker's eyes wandered in
aismay around the unpromisiag looking
wood yard. Two Or three green logs
lay there, against one of which an ak
leaned in q. cleft formed by stove
length being half chapped off. Her
husband and his hired help, consisting
Of a man and boy, had just gone to their
work on distant part Of the farm, and
she knew she should see neither OF
them before dark ~ 49,.
What should she do? Half impa-
tiontly she turned toward the house, and
chen, with thought of the pan Of light
dough waiting inside, she began to
gather some OF the chips which lay
around, only to fling them down again.
cts no use. I can't bake bread
with these. I know what I'll do"
She quickly washed the dinner dishes
with the already cooling water, and
then went to the stable, in which, with
hands dextrous by practice IN such
work, she had soon harnessed horse
to light buggy.
"DIother and the girls will think I'm
crazy" she said to herself, "but T
can't help that. I swung an ak once
and ached for month to pay for it, so
I'm not going to do it again."
She brought out her pan of bread
wrapped in large cloth, and, settingi it
in the bottom OF the buggy, sprung in
herself, and had soon driven the two
miles which lay between her own house
md her mothers, Arriving there she
carried in her pan and set it down with
laugh.
There. mother. I've come to bake
my bread. John and the others went
off without leaving me any wood, and I
had to do it or let it spoil. Men will
forget, you know"
She was not going to blame him to
others. nor let them imagine how often,
since sue had gone as bride to John
Bnrker's new house only last spring,
she had this same trouble about wood.
"Yhat's right. Set it right down
there by the fire. sot'ill get bet up be-
fore you kneal it into loaves. Yes,
they will; and if any mans to be ex-
cused for not keepin' wood on his mind
it's John Barker, if there's anything in
b!oe'l and I say there is. His father
is just so-a real forehanded man, good
provider, and took proper pride in hay
in things spick and span about him,
but never seemin' to think what both
CT it was TO the women folks not to have
their wood handy. Many and many's
the time I've dropped into tea with
greh est time a scrapin' up few chips
or sbahin' the snow off sticks of miser-
able green wood"
Johns wife turned her face as she
took off her things, for fear her friends
would see III her face how nearly her
own experience was already becoming
like that Of Johns mother.
II used to tell her." went on her
mother "that she'd ought to trained him
better when he was young. Now, like
as not, John takes a little after his faith
er-nobody could wonder at it-and
wish father could haul you a load or
two Of his good seasoned wood, s'pose
'twouldnt do--eh, Susan?"
"No, 'twou!dn't do, mother; thank
you all the same"
Twilight of the November day was
shutting in whea John Barker, return
ing to his house, missed the accustomed
fire glow in the windows.
whats up :? no fire! no wife! No
wonder! !" he calculated again, as he went
out and topkaa view Of the wood yard.
After fifteen minutes work with his
AK he carried in an armful of wood and
kindling, and hada bright fire crack
ling and swapping in the stove by the
time his wife's CHEEKY voice was heard,
I've had real frolic, john" she
said, tugging in basket, from which
she laid out several loaves of bread and
a number of light, puffy biscuits. II
couldn't find any wood, so just hitch
ed up old Bill and went over to moth
er's 70 bake my bread"
..ere WIS not the slightest shade of
repr zach in her tones, but John felt a
tingle of modification at what had oc-
Cured, and resolved that it should not
happen again, and SO he assured Susan
with great fervor.
And the next day he went vigorously
to work to keep his word. Logs, some
freshly ftlled, others which had fallen
through decay. were hauled from the
piece of timber land belonging to the
farm, and for week all hands sawed
and chopped with will. Then the re-
suits were flung pell NELL into the wood
shed, and John, who had never learned
at home to look far enough ahead to
think of providing seasoned wood from
year to year, felt proud at having done
his duty like o man.
And Susan, as she worried through
that winter with wood green or decayed,
too short or too long for the stove,
made up her mind (and she had good
deal of mind of her own to make up)
that she would never worry through
such another, remembering some sensi-
bic advice her sensible, energetic moth
or had given her when she left home.
"Bear things, Susan. There's lots of
things has to be borne in this world,
and them that learns to bear EN- best's
the best of all. Men will be trying,
and if woman can't be patient it's apt to
make trouble. But mind--when I say
bear I mean there's reason in all things,
and don't mean you should bear
things that's ont of all reason. 1t q
woman'l let herself be trod on, and
them that does it'll never thank her for
it or look up to her for it. Bear what's
reasonable, Susan, but if things go be-.
You'd reason, why then look out for
yourself" 81
Il came about that when the next
October term OF the Circuit Court was